VANCOUVER - The gauntlet run continues for the UBC Thunderbirds, as they move from four matches against the CIS No. 1 and 2 men's volleyball teams to a road test against No. 8 Saskatchewan this week. The games will be streamed with live statistics on
CanadaWest.tv.
GAME TIMES
Nov. 9-10 - No. 6 UBC at No. 8 Saskatchewan (6 p.m. Pacific both nights)
No. 6 UBC Thunderbirds (1-3)
Last Week: L 3-0, L 3-2 vs No.1 Alberta
There are easier ways to start a season than playing the No. 1, 2 and 8-ranked teams consecutively, but the T-Birds are getting plenty of recognition, not to mention valuable experience, for their efforts. Despite the 1-3 record, UBC has moved up in the CIS rankings every week so far thanks to a strong preseason and highly competitive efforts against the top two teams in the country.
But as impressive as the effort has been, wins matter at the end of the day, and the 'Birds must feel like they let one slip away against top-ranked Alberta last week. After a 3-0 sweep in the first match UBC had Alberta on the ropes the next day, up 2-1 after three sets. But a lackluster effort in the fourth gave the Bears new life, and their seniors overcame a small deficit in the fifth set to get the win.
That cast a shadow over one of
David Zeyha's best performances as a T-Bird. The fifth-year outside hitter posted 23 kills on .436 hitting in the loss. That kind of night would probably mean a UBC win against just about any other team in the league though, and he is far from their only weapon. UBC was without
Jarrid Ireland, perhaps their top gun on the outside, against Alberta, and they also have second-year
Ben Chow and third-year transfer
Quentin Schmidt looking poised for strong seasons.
Add the extremely talented second year setter
Milan Nikic and sophomore big man
Alex Russell in the middle, and the future looks bright for
Richard Schick's boys. But after facing the cream of the crop they can't afford a let-down against another very tough team on the road this week if they plan on being contenders at the end of the season.
No. 8 Saskatchewan Huskies (2-2)
Last Week: W 3-1, W 3-0 at UBC Okanagan
The Huskies went down hard to No. 1 Alberta in week one, but came back with a convincing sweep of UBC-O on the road. Meanwhile, UBC leapfrogged them in the CIS rankings, so the Huskies will be looking to prove the voters had it right the first time this weekend.
To do that, they will need to get plently of good opportunities for Bryan Fraser and Paul Thompson offensively. The Alberta defence took those top options away as much as possible and the Huskies' attack efficiency suffered for it, but against UBC-O the duo combined for almost two-thirds of the attacks in game one and half the attacks in game two, posting attack percentages in the high .200s and 51 kills between them.
Middle blocker Braden McClean is also coming off a big weekend, posting nine kills on .500 hitting in game one with four blocks, and adding eight kills on .636 hitting with six blocks in game two. When Fraser and Thompson are doing their thing on the outside it allows McClean to get some juicy opportunities in the middle, and he's been making the most of them so far.
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